Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 1. BEHOLD MY SERVANT A MESSIANIC STUDY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF ISAIAH CHAPTERS 7 to 12

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1 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 1 BEHOLD MY SERVANT A MESSIANIC STUDY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF ISAIAH CHAPTERS 7 to 12 C. The Prophecies of Immanuel: Chapters The Threat to the Nation: 7: The Sign of Immanuel: 7: The Plunder of the Nation: 7: The fall of the Nations Enemies: 8: The future of the Nation s Remnant: 8: The Promise of the Kingly Child: 9: The Anger of the Lord: 9:8-10:4 8. Assyria: God s Choice for Punishing the Nation: 10: The Return of the Remnant: 10: The Kingdom of the Righteous Branch: 11: The Victory of the Remnant: 11: The Praise of the Remnant: Chapter 12 Following the commissioning of the prophet by the Lord, the section 7:1 to 12:6 presents further revelation regarding the holy seed (singular). Details are given regarding His birth, His titles, His redemption of the remnant, His personal attributes, and His kingdom. The Lord will not relent in pouring out His righteous judgment on His rebellious and sinful people. Yet He also in the midst of wrath, gives mercy and the hope of future redemption through a Messianic figure whom various titles are given: Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace and to whom descriptive words are ascribed: shoot from the stem of Jesse, root of Jesse and a branch. The overarching theme of this section and arguably to the entire prophecy of Isaiah is: Who do you trust, God or yourself? The early chapters of Isaiah provide ample proof of the folly and deadly consequences of the Jewish people s self-trust, self-indulgence and the selfish worship of idols. In response God sends a prophet to proclaim the Lord s message of judgment and mercy. God also is patient and offers the King of Judah in particular an opportunity to trust Him during a time of warfare and invasion by Aram and Israel. To whom will the King of Judah look to for help and protection? Will the King look to an evil and regionally powerful nation or to the Eternal, Holy and all-powerful God? The response is predictable and the results are catastrophic. Historical Background The historical background to Isaiah chapters 7-12 is recorded in 2 Kings 16: 1-20 and 2 Chronicles 27:9-28:27. King Ahaz of Judah, grandson of King Uzziah, was just twenty years of age when he became King of Judah. His reign lasted about 21 years (including co-reigning with his father Jotham) and was one of evilness and rebellion against the Lord. Ahaz was so vile that he made molten images for the Baals, he burned incense in the valley of Ben-hinnom and sacrificed and burned incense on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree.

2 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 2 His most rebellious act against God he committed was in burning his own sons in fire according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the sons of Israel. (2 Chronicles 28:1-4). Because of the sins of Ahaz, the Lord brought swift judgment against the nation of Judah. 120,000 people of Judah were slain in one day by the armies of king Pekah of Israel. The armies of the northern kingdom of Israel under command of king Pekah also carried off 200,000 captives from Judah and brought them to Samaria. However, these captives whom the northern kingdom wished to enslave, were very quickly escorted back to Jericho in Judah because of the intervention of the Lord through His prophet Obed. (2 Chronicles 28: 5-15). Following a further invasion by the Edomites and the Philistines who also took captives from Judah, King Ahaz sought help from the king of Assyria. Ahaz and offered to pay tribute to Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria in payment for seeking Assyria s aid to fight against Judah s enemies. This act of rebellion by Ahaz resulted in further affliction against Judah due to Assyria s abuse of Judah. In spite of all the disaster facing Judah by its enemies, king Ahaz became more rebellious and unfaithful to the Lord by offering sacrifices and burning incense to pagan gods and using temple implements, devoted to the worship of the Lord, to make altars for worshipping these pagan gods. There is no record that Ahaz ever repented of his sins against God. (2 Chronicles 28: 16-27). For further historical details regarding the reign of Ahaz, see article on Ahaz by R. D. Culver, in the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 1975, Vol. 1. It is also important to the understanding of chapters 7-12 to know the historical timeline of the events Isaiah describes from the viewpoint of his location in Jerusalem. Much was happening in the Fertile Crescent area of the Ancient Near East region. The smaller nations were in turmoil and fear as both Egypt and Assyria were asserting their imperialistic plans for expanding their empires. A smaller nation, Babylon was just emerging which was to have an over-powering presence several years in the future from the days of Isaiah. The duration of the reigns of the kings of the various nations and some of the most important historical dates and events for the Book of Isaiah are indicated in the following list: Note: all dates are approximate only. Approximate time of Isaiah s prophetic ministry: B.C. Kings of Judah and Israel: Death of King Uzziah, king of Judah: 740 B.C. Rule of Jotham, king of Judah: B.C. Jotham co-ruled with Uzziah from B.C. Rule of Ahaz, king of Judah: B.C. Ahaz co-ruled with Jotham from B.C. Rule of Pekah, king of Israel: B.C. Rule of Hoshea, king of Israel: B.C Rule of Hezekiah, king of Judah: B.C. Hezekiah co-ruled with Ahaz from B.C. Rule of Manasseh: king of Judah: B.C. Manasseh co-ruled with Hezekiah from B.C.

3 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 3 The Assyrian kings: Rule of Tiglath-Pileser III king of Assyria (also known as Pul ): B.C. Rule of Shalmaneser V king of Assyria: B.C. Rule of Sargon II king of Assyria: B.C. Rule of Sennacherib, king of Assyria: B.C. The Babylonian kings: Rule of Merodach-Baladan king of city of Babylon: B.C. Babylon under Assyrian control: B.C. Rule of Nabopolasar, king of renewed Babylon B.C. Rule of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon: B.C. Major Events: Isaiah s vision of the Lord in the temple: 740 B.C. Isaiah s meeting with king Ahaz: 735 B.C. Invasion of Judah by Aram and Israel: B.C. Assyria conquered Damascus: 732 B.C. First invasion of Israel by Assyria: 732 B.C. Destruction of Israel by Assyria: B.C. Complete obliteration of Israel s people (Isaiah 7:9): 669 B.C. Sickness and healing of Hezekiah: B.C. Hezekiah receives ambassadors from Babylon: B.C Conquest of Judah by Assyria: 701 B.C. Threatened siege of Jerusalem by Assyria and destruction of the Assyrian army: 701 B.C. Prophesized destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon: First conquest and exile of Daniel and his friends to Babylon: 605 B.C. Second conquest and exile of 10,000 captives including Ezekiel to Babylon: 597 B.C. Third conquest and complete destruction of the city, the temple and the walls: 586 B.C. 1. The Threat to the Nation: 7:1-9 Before the events described in 2 Chronicles chapter 28, Isaiah records some background details about the plans to invade Judah by Aram and Israel. The armies of the Arameans had advanced against Judah and were camped just north of Judah in Israel (Ephraim). It was just prior to the invasion of Judah by Aram and Israel that Isaiah was instructed by the Lord to take his son Shear-jashub ( a remnant will return ), and meet king Ahaz and bring the king a message from the Lord. The message was for Ahaz to be calm and have no fear and not to be fainthearted because of the impending invasion by the kings of Aram and Israel. These two kings planned to invade Judah, breach its walls (likely the walls of Jerusalem) and set up a puppet king who would be in their service. The Lord stated regarding the plans of the kings of Aram and Israel: It will not stand and it will not happen. (Isaiah 7:7). The Lord also gave words to Isaiah of a stunning prophecy: Within sixty-five years, Ephraim will be shattered in pieces, so that it will not be a people. Isaiah 7:8. The Lord through the prophet then stated: if you will not faithfully stand firm, then you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9.

4 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 4 The words of the Lord to remain calm and be without fear in the midst of impending doom were hard for Ahaz to bear as the armies of his enemies whom he could see appeared more menacing than the armies of the Lord whom he could not see. Ahaz, if he considered the records in Scripture of the kings of Judah and Israel, would have remembered the story of Elisha s servant, who was in a similar situation, when an army from Aram had encircled the city. The servant was in distress and said to Elisha, Oh no, my master! What can we do now? Elisha replied, Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them. Elisha prayed that his servant s eyes would be opened and God responded by allowing the servant to see that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6: The remarkable issue in Isaiah 7 is that God was willing to provide help, not to an obedient and believing prophet, but to a faithless, evil and rebellious king who never ceased to perform abominable acts in the very face of God. It is also remarkable that Isaiah was told by the Lord to take his son, Shear-jashub with him when he went to meet with king Ahaz. In the midst of impending doom, Isaiah was to bring with him a living message of hope. Isaiah s son, Shear-jashub whose name means a remnant will return, was a sign to Ahaz that God would bring a future restoration to the nation. Isaiah recognized that he and his sons were signs and harbingers in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. Isaiah 8:18. It is very unlikely that Ahaz took any notice yet God gave him hope both in the prophet s message and in the presence of Isaiah s son. It could be concluded that due to the grace given to him, Ahaz was without excuse before the Lord. 7:1 In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to attack Jerusalem, but could not prevail against it. Vs. 1 of the seventh chapter of Isaiah contains much historical information that is an important background to the message that the prophet delivered to king Ahaz. Ahaz had an impressive family lineage. His grandfather Uzziah and father Jotham were God-followers and the land and its people prospered under their leadership. Ahaz s son, Hezekiah was also sought the Lord and the Lord brought deliverance to the city of Jerusalem in response to the prayers of Hezekiah. But Ahaz would have nothing to do with following or worshiping the Holy One of Israel. During the first year of Ahaz s reign (735 B.C.), Rezin, king of Aram and Pekah, king of Israel incited war against Judah and Jerusalem. 2 Chronicles 28:5-15 describes this war (see brief details above). The nation of Judah and its cities were devastated by this war yet the capital city of Jerusalem was not conquered. 2 Chronicles 28:5 and 2 Kings 15:37 state that it was God who delivered Ahaz into the hands of the king or Aram and king of Israel due to the sins Ahaz had committed as detailed in 2 Kings 16:1-4 and 2 Chronicles 28:1-4. See also 2 Kings 16:1-20 for a brief account of the life and times of King Ahaz. 7:2 It was reported to the house of David, "Syria has allied itself with Ephraim." His heart and the heart of his people were shaken, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.

5 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 5 New of the coalition between Aram and Israel had brought terror into the hearts of the king Ahaz and his people in Jerusalem. Due to the evilness of Ahaz, the Lord had brought an end to the influence and strength of the nation of Judah. Its sphere of influence and control was shrinking and its armies were no longer blessed by the Lord. They were in great fear of the nations around them. They knew they were vulnerable to being conquered and Ahaz had two options for help. He could seek the assistance of men, in this case the powerful king of Assyria or seek the divine aid of the true King of the Jewish people who Isaiah had seen in the temple, the high and exalted Lord. The heart of king Ahaz, to whom he would trust, would be revealed very shortly. The mention in vs. 2 of the house of David is due to the threat of the removal of the (dynasty) the line of David. God moves to assure the current member of this line, Ahaz that the threat will not result in the total collapse of the house of David for God will keep His covenant with David (see notes on vs. 3). Isaiah will also refer to the house of David in vs. 13 in the same context of preserving the lineage. 7:3 Then the LORD said to Isaiah, "Go out now to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shearjashub [a remnant will return], at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the road to the Laundry Washing Field. At this precise time, when Ahaz was in despair for his life and for the lives of the people of Jerusalem, God sent Isaiah to meet the king. God told the prophet to bring along with him his young son, Shear-jashub. God never does things haphazardly or on a whim. The presence of Isaiah s son was intended to bring Ahaz a crucial message from God. The meaning of the name Shear-jashub was a remnant will return. The presence of Isaiah s son and the meaning of his name, Shear-jasub, was a three-fold object lesson to king Ahaz. First, God was not sugar-coating the realities of the sins of Ahaz. For the king of Judah must bear the responsibility for the ravages of war upon his nation and the great number of his people who had been and who were going to be killed. God was judging Ahaz and the message a remnant shall return was a stunning prophecy that exile for his people was decreed by God. The land was to be conquered and most of its people were to be killed or taken into captivity. Ahaz would live to witness this happen to the northern kingdom of Israel within a few-years. Yet this message of judgment was for him and for his nation of Judah. Second, God was sending a message of hope to the king who was born into the royal line of David. It was to David that God had made covenant promises that David s house (lineage) and kingdom would endure before the Lord forever. (See 2 Samuel 7:8-17 and 1 Chronicles 17:7-14). Refer also to the Master s Seminary Journal, Volume 10, Number 2, Fall, 1999, devoted to the Biblical Covenants, for an excellent study of the promises of God through His covenant with the people of Israel. Ahaz was confronted with a reminder of God s covenant promise in the person of a small boy. Another young son would soon be announced to him that would change history forever. Third, the presence of Shear-jashub would also have significance in understanding the boy in vs. 16. See notes on that verse below.

6 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 6 The location of the meeting place between Isaiah and Ahaz was also not inconsequential. Ahaz had likely gone out to inspect the water supply that led into the city. David L. Cooper explains: Thereupon the Lord sent Isaiah, together with his little son Shear-jashub, to Ahaz who was inspecting the water system of Jerusalem in preparation for the threatened siege. Isaiah met him at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, which was in the highway of the fuller's field. In other words, he was in the Kidron Valley (east of Mount Moriah, the Temple area) near Gihon. This was the only running water around Jerusalem. (D. L. Cooper, Commentary on Isaiah, Biblical Research Monthly-December 1943). This location was also to play an important part in later years when the Assyrian spokesman, Rabshakeh, stood on this spot (Isaiah 36:2) to taunt King Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, and the people of Jerusalem with threats of destruction if Jerusalem did not surrender to the king of Assyria and his army. Rabshakeh challenged Hezekiah s trust in God; a challenge he and the Assyrian army would soon discover was to bring them doom. 7:4 Tell him, 'Be careful, be quiet, and don't be afraid. Do not be timid, because of these two stubs of smoldering sticks, because of the fierce anger of Rezin, Aram, and the son of Remaliah. God s message to Ahaz through the prophet was reassuring to someone who placed their faith and trust in God. Ahaz was not that someone! The first part of Isaiah s message was for Ahaz to not fear and be quiet within himself so as not to panic because of the actions of the kings of Syria and Israel. Isaiah was putting into practice the commission God had given him (Isaiah 6:8-13) to proclaim the word of the Lord to a people who would be insensitive to the message. Isaiah s commission was primarily one of announcing judgment to those who were rebellious to God. Isaiah s words to Ahaz would result in sealing the fate of the Judean king for although He had an opportunity to respond positively to God, his refusal (vs. 12) brought judgment upon him. He could blame no one except himself for the great calamity to come upon the people of Judah during his lifetime and upon Jerusalem many years later. In God s opinion, the threat of the two kings, Rezin and Pekah (son of Remaliah) were but the stub ends of a smoldering (dying) piece of wood in a fire pit. They were not to be feared nor should Ahaz worry himself about them. God s call for the king to adopt a calm attitude about the threat of siege for God was in control and as Ahaz was about to hear, God would soon remove forever any more threats from these two kings. 7:5-6 Aram, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have planned evil against you, saying, 6 "Let us go up against Judah, terrorize it, and rip it apart and divide it up for ourselves. Let us set up a king, the son of Tabeel, over it."'

7 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 7 Isaiah, in verses 5-6, explains why Ahaz was in dread over the threats of Rezin, the king of Aram and Pekah, the king of Israel. These two kings had plotted together to breach the walls of Jerusalem and set up a puppet king (son of Tabeel) who would join them in their resistance to the imperialistic designs of the king of Assyria. This was no idle threat. As the historical background, stated above, revealed, these two kings had the means and the motivation to destroy Jerusalem as they had devastated Judah. Not only did Ahaz remain full of fear but he had likely already considered (but had not yet taken any action) to seek the aid of Assyria against these two menacing kings. 7:7-9 This is what the sovereign LORD says: "It will not stand, and it will not happen, 8 for the head of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin. Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered in pieces, so that it will not be a people. 9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not faithfully stand firm, then you will not stand at all." Isaiah emphatically declares the intention of God in vs. 7: It will not stand and it will not happen. God was demonstrating that He was the One in sovereign control of world affairs and Ahaz was not to worry about other kings who had but limited power and resources in comparison to almighty God. But God had used these two nations as His agent of judgment upon the evil acts of King Ahaz. See 2 Kings 16:1-4 and 2 Chronicles 28:1-4. The judgment of God upon King Ahaz was most severe as the account in 2 Chronicles 28:5-15 demonstrates. The Lord, through the prophet, next reveals some startling news for Ahaz to consider. God reminds Ahaz that these two kings, Rezin and Pekah are just minor players in the greater scheme of things but the stunning announcement is that the northern kingdom, Israel (called Ephraim) will not even exist as a people in 65 years. Ephraim will be shattered in pieces, so that it will not be a people. (vs. 8). Why would God allow the complete destruction of Israel? In 9:8 to 10:4, Isaiah proclaims God s judgment on the northern kingdom. Also, almost the entire prophecy of Hosea is about God s judgment on Israel. In 13:15-16, Hosea declares Israel s (Samaria) final demise for: Samaria will bear her guilt, for she rebelled against her God. (Hosea 13:16). However even in the midst of calamity and destruction God offers hope as Hosea reveals in chapter 14 of his prophecy and the prophet s final recorded words (14:9) have an application for all peoples for all time:

8 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 8 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the LORD are right, and the just will walk in them, but rebels will stumble in them. Isaiah completes this first part of his discussion with Ahaz with the warning: If you will not faithfully stand firm, then you will not stand at all. Ahaz was issued an ultimatum by God to trust solely in Him in faith. To put his trust in anyone or anything else would prove disastrous for him and his people. Isaiah had earlier warned the people of Judah (including the king s house) that destruction would come upon them because they had despised the word of the Holy One of Israel, 5:24. In the next chapter Isaiah would again warn them of their impending doom, 8:6-8. Later another warning would be given as recorded in 30: Ahaz certainly heard the warning from Isaiah but with dull ears. He listened but did not perceive nor acknowledge the gravity of these words. Teaching Outline for Isaiah 7:1-9 7:1-2 The Problem Described 7:3 The Prophet Dispatched 7:4-9 The Prophecy Delivered 2. The Sign of Immanuel: 7:10-16 These verses contain some of the most controversial issues of interpretation in all of Scripture. The crux of the issue is the understanding of the sign and the word virgin in vs. 14 and whether two sons are indicated in verses Discussions involving these issues will be given within the notes on the these verses. The lead up and reason for the declaration by Isaiah that the Lord will give the house of David a sign is explained in the notes for verses These verses (10-17 and specifically vs. 14 are of critical importance to the doctrine of Christology and specifically the virgin birth of the Messiah. A careful study of these verses must be undertaken by the student of Scripture so as to understand God s intended purpose of His revelation of the announcement of the virgin who would bear a son. More information about this Son is recorded by Isaiah in the chapters immediately following, specifically, 8:8; 9:1-7; and 11:1-10. Isaiah will record much more information about this Son as his prophecy unfolds. The apex of this revelation is stated by Isaiah in 52:13-53:12 and 63:1-6 but it does not diminish in any way the importance of the other prophecies regarding the Messiah interspaced throughout the book of Isaiah. 7:10-11 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 "Request a sign from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depths of Sheol, or in the height of heaven."

9 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 9 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz. (vs. 10). The Lord would have spoken to Ahaz through the prophet Isaiah. It is not recorded if this was immediately following Isaiah s warning as recorded in vs. 9 but it is likely as no other meeting between Isaiah, accompanied with his son and king Ahaz is stated in Scripture. The first part of God s message though the prophet is directed to Ahaz: Request a sign form the LORD your God; ask it either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights of heaven. (vs. 11). There are important issues to be discussed in this request. First, the Lord had just revealed to Ahaz that the two kings he had feared would not conquer Jerusalem and the dynasty of the line of David would be preserved. Also, God had given him the most stunning news that the northern kingdom of Israel would cease to be a people in 65 years. Prior to these announcements, God had told Ahaz to be calm, and have no fear nor be fainthearted because of the threat posed by the kings of Aram and Israel. Second, as the current representative of the house of David and the living recipient of the covenant God gave to David (2 Samuel 7:8-17 and 1 Chronicles 17:7-14), Ahaz needed to have faith in His God and trust Him for keeping His covenant promises. Third, although Ahaz was an evil king who did not seek God, he was being offered something far beyond what he deserved. His evil activities were well documented (for example: 2 Kings 16:2-4). Nonetheless, up to this point, God was willing to extend a sign to Ahaz which would demonstrate God s faithful commitment to His covenant. Fourth, by requesting a sign from God at God s request, Ahaz did not need to exercise true faith for the fulfillment of such a sign would be proof of God s intention and faithfulness to His word by sight and experience (of the fulfillment of the sign). Fifth, God s offer of a sign was not a suggested minor change to the immediate situation or a small miracle. God opened the possibilities to have Ahaz ask for a sign that could possibly be the greatest of all miraculous acts God had undertaken short of creation itself. It could possibly have been more spectacular than the parting of the Red Sea or any other miraculous things God had done up to this point in history. The vault of God s divine acts was open to Ahaz to consider. 7:12 But Ahaz said, "I will not ask. I will not test the LORD." The response of Ahaz to the request by God of a sign was short and momentous in its tragic significance. Ahaz responded, I will not ask, I will not test the LORD. His response was not only hypocritically pious but full of hubris as Ahaz displayed his great contempt for and open rebellion of God. It was unlikely that Ahaz was in purity of mind responding to the command of God as recorded in Deuteronomy 6:16: Do not put the LORD your God to the test. He had shown no previous concern for any command of God. Also, his sinful and repulsive actions were an indication of the evil intentions of his heart. This was not a mere response to a whim to ask the Lord for a sign. The One asking was God Himself. It was a direct request with the demand of a response. By his seeming pious attitude, Ahaz was in fact throwing his sinfulness into the face of God and demonstrating openly (Isaiah 3:9) his vileness. He was therefore bringing judgment upon himself and his nation. Ahaz had placed himself and the royal line of David in grave danger. God s patience with Ahaz s wickedness and rebellion had finally come to its full conclusion. The Scriptures state that the Lord is slow to anger. Yet when His anger is aroused, no one, not even the king of Judah can stand before God.

10 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 10 The prophet Nahum recorded: The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. Nahum 1:3. The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means acquit the guilty. Isaiah would later state in 51:17: Wake up, wake up, stand up, O Jerusalem, you who drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath; you have drunk dry the bowl that causes staggering. Ahaz had taken the cup of the Lord s anger and completed drank it. There would be no further offer from God for the king to consider. God would act alone. 7:13 Then Isaiah said, "Listen now, O house of David. Is it too small a thing for you try the patience of humans, that you want to try the patience of my God too? Isaiah responded to the hypocritical and self-pious retort of Ahaz. At least two very significant issues are addressed by Isaiah. First, he responds by addressing the house of David. It is no longer a direct response to Ahaz as a representative of the line of David. Isaiah addresses the entire covenantal dynastic lineage of David with whom God has made a covenant (see above). Ahaz, has been judged and found guilty of rejecting God s offer of defense of Judah and Jerusalem and has been cast aside for consideration as a representative of the Davidic dynasty and Isaiah rhetorically addresses the entire lineage of David. Second, Isaiah had previously (vs. 11) referenced God to Ahaz as the LORD your God ; now Isaiah states that the Lord is my God. This change in reference is not coincidental. It is a deliberate statement of Isaiah s faithfulness to God and Ahaz s disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. Thomas Constable comments: Isaiah saw right through the king's hypocrisy. He warned him by addressing him as the representative of the house of David. The plural "you" indicates that Isaiah was addressing all the members of the house of David and perhaps the whole nation (cf. v. 9). Yahweh had made covenant promises that David's dynasty would continue forever (2 Sam. 7:16; 1 Kings 8:25). Ahaz should not have feared being replaced by a puppet king (v. 6). Ahaz had said he would not test God (v. 12), but by refusing to ask for a sign, that is precisely what he was doing testing God's patience with him. He was also testing the patience of the godly in Israel who were looking to their king to trust God.

11 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 11 The prophet had called Yahweh "Ahaz's God" (v. 11), but now that the king had rebelled against Him, Isaiah referred to the Lord as "my (Isaiah's) God." This change was ominous, suggesting that God would abandon the king. If Ahaz's decision resulted in God withdrawing support from the Davidic kings, the prophecy of Immanuel may imply that God would raise up His own King from David's house who would be faithful to Him. This could explain why God gave such a major messianic prediction at this time. "To appreciate fully the messianic portrait of Isaiah 1 39, it must be viewed against the backdrop of the generally negative presentation of Judahite kingship in these same chapters."121 [Note 121: Chisholm, A Theology of Isaiah. In A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, page 45]. (Thomas Constable, Isaiah, page 52). 7:14-16: Introduction These three verses are without question vital to a proper understanding of the great sign God gave to the house of David which was a prophetic announcement of the virgin birth of a Son, Jesus Christ 730 years in the future which would have world changing significance and would be of critical importance to God keeping His covenantal promises with David. Also within these verses God gives a promise of immediate historical importance to the people of Judah which was to be through the illustration of Isaiah s son. Verses address the future great sign of the divine Son, Immanuel. Vs. 16 addresses the current political crisis with reference to a son standing literally at the feet of king Ahaz. There has been a great deal of debate and controversy regarding the correct interpretation of these verses. Even among conservative, evangelical and pre-millennial scholars, a friendly debate ensues to this day regarding the meaning of the sign and how should this sign address both the far distant application as recorded by Matthew in his gospel, (Matthew 1:22-23) and how it addresses the immediate crisis faced by the people of Judah. At least four major interpretations have been suggested: First, the sign of Immanuel was for the day of Ahaz and addressed the immediate historical crisis only without a certain meaning for a future application in the New Testament. Second, the sign of Immanuel was intended for the day of Ahaz, but was applied by Matthew to refer to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Third, the sign of Immanuel is a double reference referring both to the immediate context in the days of Ahaz and also to the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Fourth, the sign of Immanuel itself (verses 14-15) was for the future and was literally fulfilled by the birth of Jesus Christ from a virgin named Mary. Vs. 16 referred to Isaiah s son and was an object lesson for the people of Judah regarding the crisis they were facing.

12 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 12 The following brief critiques of these three interpretations are not intended to fully engage scholarly debate or provide technical and language based reasons for any stated conclusions. References for such scholarly review will be provided so the student can delve deeper into this most critical passage of God s word. Regarding the first interpretation: Proponents of this suggested solution usually do not interpret the Hebrew word (almah) for virgin, as stated in the NASB, as being an unmarried woman who has had no sexual relations with a man. These proponents suggest almah means young woman.thus, Isaiah, according to this understanding of virgin is simply referring to a son soon to be born to a young woman who will have a son with the name of Immanuel. The identification of the son s father is further suggested as Isaiah, Ahaz or some other person with connections to the unfolding drama faced by Judah. The three major problems with this interpretation is that (1) as will be indicated below, almah indeed does mean virgin in the sense that it refers to a woman of marriageable age who will have a son although she has had no sexual relations with a man. (2) This interpretation robs any sense of the meaning of a sign by God. Ahaz could have simply shrugged his shoulders and said so what young women are having sons born to them every day. (3) As well, this interpretation makes Matthew s reference to Isaiah s prophecy in 7:14 of no importance as it robs the Old Testament of having any Messianic content. It also removes from Scripture of the vital importance of the virgin birth of Christ and brings into question the deity of Christ. Regarding the second interpretation: Proponents of this suggested solution suggest that Matthew drew his story of the virgin birth of Christ from an Old Testament story that had no direct prophetic relevance. Matthew simply applied the Isaiah 7:14-16 as an illustration to accent his record of the birth of Christ. This so called solution is similar to the first proposed solution and the objections to the first proposed solution apply to this second proposal. The most important objection to this second interpretation that it makes Isaiah s prophetic message to Ahaz, without a purpose or a solution and denies that the Old Testament has any messianic prophetic content. Also, by applying an Old Testament story to an event current in Matthew s day, it gives affirmation to those who seek to allegorize the content of the Old Testament to fit any desired interpretation they intend to apply to a New Testament text. Regarding the third interpretation: Proponents of this suggested solution hold that the sign of Immanuel has a double reference both to the immediate historical context of the crisis facing Judah and to the far future referring to the virgin birth of Christ as Matthew records the quotation from Isaiah 7:14. Two major problems (among others) are evident regarding this viewpoint. (1) There is no evidence that a virgin during the days of Isaiah and Ahaz gave birth supernaturally to a son which would literally fulfill Isaiah s prophecy. Some may point to Isaiah 8:8 and 10 as evidence that a son named Immanuel had been born but a close study of these verses reveals they refer to a far future day when indeed the land of Judah will be rightly called Immanuel s land.

13 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 13 (2) There is also no internal direct warrant for imposing a law of double reference on certain prophecies of Scripture. Many conservative, godly and highly regarded scholars have held to this view and it is not the intention of this study to cast aside or deride their opinion. It is with respect of their great contribution to the understanding of Scripture that this study suggests another possibility for understanding the sign of Immanuel. Regarding the fourth interpretation: There appears that there are not many proponents of this suggested solution. Michael Rydelnik is one such scholar who holds this view and he suggests that Wm. Kelly and H. Bultema also proposed this solution. See Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, note: pages Gary V. Smith also hints at this solution. See Gary V. Smith, Isaiah, Vol. 1, pages Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, pages devotes a chapter to explaining why the Hebrew language of Isaiah 7:14-16 strongly supports the literal prophecy of a virgin who will give birth to a son in vs. 14 and 15 and the literal reference in vs. 16 to Isaiah s son, Shear-jashub, as an object lesson pointing to the soon demise of the two kings who were threatening Judah and Jerusalem. For additional study refer to W. Kelly, An Exposition of the Book of Isaiah, (London: Paternaster, 1987) and H. Bultema, Commentary on Isaiah, trans. D. Bultema, (Grand Rapids, Kregel, 1981). The following study expands upon the reason for supporting this fourth interpretation. 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, a virgin will conceive, and give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel [God with us]. Isaiah directly speaks to the house of David (see above notes on vs. 13) and announces that the LORD Himself will give you a sign. The word you in the Hebrew is plural and refers to the house of David (vs. 13). This sign was offered to the entire house of David since the offer of a sign was rejected by the current representative of this house who has brought God s judgment upon himself (king Ahaz) for his unbelief and evil rebellion against God. The sign was of the greatest importance to the house of David. The prophet declared: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Several points of discussion will be provided to help in the understanding of this sign. The DASV, among other English versions, translates the Hebrew word almah as virgin. Whenever the word almah appears in the Hebrew it always refers to a virgin. In the New Testament, Matthew quotes from Isaiah 7 and uses the Greek word parthenos which also clearly means virgin. (Matthew 1:23). The reason this word has received so much critical attention is that liberal and Jewish scholars do not want to admit the obvious which is Isaiah was given a true prophetical word from God approximately 730 years before the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. It is for theological reasons and not exegetical reasons that many do not translate the Hebrew word almah as virgin. For example, the Revised Standard Version (RSV) translates almah as young woman, in Isaiah 7:14 which causes confusion because the RSV translates parthenos as virgin in Matthew 1:23. For an excellent treatment of this issue, please refer to Victor Buksbazen, Isaiah, pages and Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, pages

14 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 14 God provided a sign for the Jewish people and for all humanity that would ultimately deal with their wickedness. God demanded a righteous and just punishment for humanity s sinful condition. The punishment was that any sin committed by anyone without atonement resulted in death. Since God could not find anyone worthy to bear the death penalty for all humanity due to their sinfulness, He alone gave the remedy. The first action of this remedy was to give the world a sign which was unheard of or unimaginable to humanity s finite and fallible intelligence. The sign was that a virgin would be with child and bear a son, and she (the virgin) will call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14). See David L. Cooper, for a discussion on the significance of this sign, Messianic Series Volume 2: Messiah: His Nature and Person, Biblical Research Society, 1933, pages The importance of this sign cannot be understated. The rebellious Ahaz certainly could not provide this protection or salvation. No one at any time in history, past, present or future could be the means of salvation from the penalty and punishment for the sins of the entire world except for One Person. The nation of Judah was in danger of being destroyed and the line of David was in danger of being obliterated. Who could save them? It certainly would not be the king of Assyria who would later inflict the nation of Judah with hardship and the nation of Israel with complete destruction. It also would not be any other nation or powerful earthly king. God alone could save them. Isaiah chapter 59 is a commentary on the failure of humanity to provide salvation for their wickedness. Isaiah 59:11 states, we look for justice, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us. A few verses later, 59:15b-16, Isaiah recorded: The LORD saw it, and the fact that there was no justice displeased him. 16 He saw that there was no vindicator, and was amazed that there was no one to intervene. Therefore his own arm brought salvation to him; his righteousness supported him. In a truly wonderful passage regarding the second advent of the Messiah, Isaiah 63:1-6, Isaiah prophecies of the Messiah s provision of salvation. In verses 4-5 of Isaiah 63 the prophet states: For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. 5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was shocked that there was no one to lend support. Therefore my own arm brought me salvation, and my wrath sustained me.

15 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 15 The name of the son to be born of the virgin was to be Immanuel. The name is a blessed hope not only for the nation of Judah but to the entire world. The name means God is with us. It is God who is with us who will make right that which is evil and wrong, who will heal the nations, who will be a comfort to all who are suffering, who will by His own arm bring eternal salvation to all those who will trust in the Son who was born of the virgin. Although this is far from an original thought, it is among the great truths of Scripture that God alone provides hope, present salvation and eternal joy in heaven with Him. He does this through three easy to remember themes: God is with us: Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23); God is for us (Romans 8:31); and God is in us, (Colossians 1:27). Victor Buksbazen provides an excellent discussion on the meaning of Immanuel: It was one of the central doctrines of the Hebrew Scriptures that God was present with His people, watching over their destiny. He was with the patriarchs (Gen. 26:3; 28:15; 39:2,3). He was with Moses (Ex. 3:12) and with His people as a national entity (Ex. 3:16; 33:15-17). The Tabernacle in the wilderness (and later the Temple in Jerusalem) was a material and physical symbol that God was amidst His people. This Presence was visible to the children of Israel in the cloud which filled the Tabernacle by day, and the pillar of fire which rested over it by night, or went before them as they journeyed in the wilderness (Ex. 40:38). The very word for tabernacle in Hebrew Mishkan is derived from the root shachan to dwell, to rest, to abide, the same root from which the word Shechinah is derived. Isaiah was now prophesying that the birth of that wonder child, whom the virgin will call Immanuel, God-Is-with-Us, shall be a visible manifestation in flesh and blood, that God is truly among His people, in a manner more real and more intimate even than the Tabernacle or the Temple. The apostle John understood this when he wrote: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. John 1:14. It was this certainty of the Presence of God among His people which allowed Isaiah to defy all the hostile forces of the nations assembled against Israel. Take counsel together and it shall come to naught, speak the Word and it shall not stand, for God is with us [Immanu-el] (Isa. 8:10). The prophet s faith in the coming of the Messiah was the very foundation of his confidence in Israel s future triumph and redemption.

16 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 16 What kind of redeemer did Isaiah think that Immanuel would be? Isaiah gives an answer to this in chapters 9:6-7 and 11:1-10 where he describes Immanuel s glorious reign. The three prophecies, Isaiah 7:14; 9:6,7; and 11:1-10 are closely related and should be studied together. The name Immanuel, just at the four names in Isaiah 9:6, was not meant as a proper name, but rather as a description of the person and character of the Messiah. (Victor Buksbazen, Isaiah, pages ). 7:15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to refuse the evil, and choose the good. Continuing with the far future significance of the sign of Immanuel, Isaiah predicts that the Son to be born will live his early years; at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good, eating curds and honey. Curds (butter) and honey can refer to desolate times when the ground is only suitable for the grazing of animals who produce the less than desirable cheese curds and wild flowers flourish (instead of food crops) resulting in the abundance of bees who produce honey. Such was the situation at the time of Christ s birth. The nation of Israel was in subjection to Rome, politically and militarily but the desolation of the land can be traced back to the days of Ahaz who was responsible for the destruction of the land by foreign nations as God s judgment on the land was widespread and lasted for many centuries. Michael Rydelnik explains: The point then of the description of the coming virgin-born, Davidic king eating butter and honey is to accentuate that he would be born during a time of political oppression. In other words, the prophecy of Messiah concludes with a hint that He will be born and grow up ( Learn[ing] to reject what is bad and choose what is good ) at a time when Judah is oppressed by a foreign power. (Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, page 156). 7:16 For before the child knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. It is unlikely that Ahaz cared for or even gave much thought to the sign from God that Isaiah proclaimed to him. He did not want to acknowledge the hope of God through faith in God. Yet if he listened to the prophet, he would have reason to trust God. In vs.16, Isaiah refers to the boy, Shear-jashub his son, who is standing next to him, which explains why God directed Isaiah to bring his son with him to meet with King Ahaz. Isaiah had just proclaimed an amazing message of a future hope to the entire world in verses He now announces a message of an immediate hope to the nation of Judah, recorded in vs. 16. The two kings, (Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel), whom Ahaz had feared (you dread) will have met their deaths (will be forsaken). Isaiah had told Ahaz earlier, (verses 4-7) that the king had nothing to fear from these two kings. Isaiah uses similar words: to refuse evil and choose good, regarding his son (the boy) as he had to describe the divine Son, Immanuel in order to provide a separation between the divine Son who was to be born of a virgin and Isaiah s own son, Shear-jasub.

17 Isaiah Chapters 7-12: Page 17 In vs. 16, Isaiah uses his own son as an object lesson to describe that in a short period of time, both of these kings whom Ahaz dreaded would be dead and the threat to Judah from them would be removed. As noted above, Michael Rydelnik provides an excellent discussion on the Hebrew text to support the difference in meaning between Isaiah 7:13-15 and 7:16. Michael Rydelnik again explains: While many have considered v. 16 to be a continuation of the prophecy in 7:13-15, the grammar of the passage suggests otherwise. The opening phrase in Hebrew can reflect an adversative nuance, allowing for a disjunction between the child described in 7:13-15 and the one described in verse 16. There is a different child in view in this verse. (Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, page 157). One of the issues to be considered, is the audience to whom the prophet is addressing his message in verse 16. Michael Rydelnik offers this viewpoint: To whom does Isaiah make this prediction? What is not evident in the English text is plain in the Hebrew. The prophet returned to using the second-person singular pronoun in 7:16 ( the land of the two kings you [sg.] dread ). In 7:10-11 he used the singular to address King Ahaz. Then, when addressing the house of David with the prophecy of Messiah, he shifted to the plural. But in 7:16, he addressed King Ahaz, using the singular pronoun once again and giving him a near prophecy: before Shear-Jashub would be able to discern good from evil, the northern confederacy attacking Judah would fail. Within two years, Tiglath-Pileser defeated both Israel and Syria, just as the prophet had predicted. (Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope, page 158). Teaching Outline for Isaiah 7: :10-12 The Scorn of the Sinful: Ahaz 7:13-15 The Sign of the Savior: Immanuel 7:16 The Son of the Seer: Shear-jashub 3. The Plunder of the Nation: 7:17-25 The coming days for Judah and Israel (Ephraim) were to be terrifying due to the continual sinfulness of the Jewish people. There are four in that day judgments: verses: 18, 20, 21 and 23. These days were to be judgments, in the form of the coming of the Assyria, from the Lord as they had never seen since the day that Ephraim separated from Judah. God was to whistle for the fly from Egypt and the bee from Assyria to descend upon the land and on all the watering places. God would use the King of Assyria to symbolically shave the head, the hair of the legs and the beard of the Jewish men bringing disgrace upon them as the outward symbols of their manhood would be removed. Also, the overwhelming armies of the Assyrians would leave very little cattle or sheep which would mean the people would only have curds to eat and some honey. God would still provide food for His people among the devastation to come. The vineyards and cultivated lands would be trampled by the invading armies leaving only briars and thorns and a place where only sheep and cattle could wander.